The Truth About Fluid Dynamic Bearing (FDB) Fans

Alternative Design 4

And the fourth alternative design we saw was used by the Thermaltake AF0043 fan, which is sold as hydro dynamic bearing (HDB), not fluid dynamic (FDB). This is a small yet important difference, as the savvy user can assume that HDB fans are not based on Matsushita’s design. It has three grooves alongside the exterior of the bearing, and the exterior of the bearing has a somewhat different shape. Since there is no connection between the grooves and the ends of the bearing, we wonder how these grooves transport lubricant. According to Thermaltake, this bearing is from YS Tech and is called Sintetico. The presentation available is poorly written and it does not explain properly how this bearing works.

Figure 5: Alternative design 4 (Thermaltake AF0043)